Pilot vs. attendant: Fistfight delays Saudia flight

Aug. 18, 2014
|

The logo of Saudia Arabian airline Saudia. / Saudia

by Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

by Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

A flight on Saudi Arabian airline Saudi was delayed for nearly six hours because of a violent fistfight between a pilot and a flight attendant.

The incident started after the men began arguing. That's when, according to the Arab News, "the flight's captain soon turned violent when the two engaged in a fistfight."

"The fight took place as the plane was about to take off," Col Mutaz Youssef of the Cairo airport police says to the publication.

The attendant suffered hand injuries and was treated on the scene. The pilot received an eye injury and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

It was not clear what led to the dispute between the pilot and attendant, which occurred on a Wednesday morning flight (Aug. 13) flight from Cairo to Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The remaining attendants deplaned the flight's 153 passengers, who then had to wait on another Saudia crew to arrive to Cairo. The Medina-bound flight took off about six hours later than originally scheduled.

And it apparently isn't the first time such an incident has happened on a Saudi flight. (Hat tip: One Mile at a Time) A similar incident occurred on the carrier in 2012, according to Emirates 24/7 News.